The Past Revisited
by cparkins
Summary: The gang reunites after 10 years at their high school reunion.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Past Revisited**_

Tara came home from work just like any other day but for some reason this day seemed different to her. Was it the fact that she helped save a newborn baby's life or was it something else? She couldn't put her finger on just what it was. She had been working at Chicago Presbyterian Hospital as a neonatal specialist ever since she graduated medical school. Thinking back to the past she could recount every detail as to why she ended up in Chicago instead of at the hospital in Charming where she grew up.

Her father was a fall down drunk that was very belligerent and abusive to her ever since her Mom died when she was young. She made it through her high school years with the help of local bad boy Jackson "Jax" Teller. They had a whirlwind romance but when he became a prospect for the Sons of Anarchy everything in him changed. He became distant and more violent as the days passed and she didn't know what to expect from him on a daily basis. All her life she knew that she wanted to be a doctor and once he blew off her birthday for a "run" for the club she decided that she was no longer going to be his old lady. She had to get away quickly before he could talk her out of it. She contacted her cousin in San Diego and made arrangements to move in with them while she attended college. When everything was set she made her escape one night while the club was attending to another problem in Stockton.

God what was wrong with me Tara thought? She hadn't even thought of Charming or Jax in years. She had been gone for 10 years now. She got her answer when she checked her mailbox. There was an envelope with the return address of her high school in Charming. There was a 10 year class reunion and this was her invitation. Did she really want to return to her past even for one night?

Jax Teller was the prince of Charming. His father had started the local Motorcycle club The Sons of Anarchy and Jax was slated to take over the head of the table once his step-father Clay Morrow was unable to ride anymore. Jax learned years ago to use this legacy to his advantage with women. His rugged good looks helped quite a bit as well. He'd been with his fair share of women through the years but now he was married to Wendy Case and she was pregnant with his son. Things were pretty rocky between them but he vowed to make the best of it for his son. He had been working at the garage all day and the club had nothing going on that night so he went home immediately after he punched out for the day. Once he got home he realized Wendy wasn't home. She was probably over at Gemma's. He went into the kitchen and immediately saw it. Intertwined with all the bills on the table was an invitation to the 10 year class reunion with a note from Wendy saying that it had arrived today and that they should go.

Jax didn't know if he wanted to go, he wasn't really a part of the graduating class. In fact the only reason he graduated at all was because of Tara. She had helped him with his studies and made sure that he was in school everyday. Hell at the time he would do anything for her and part of the reason he went everyday was to be with her. Once they graduated it was different. He had become a prospect with the club and was at their beck and call night and day. Tara's birthday was right after graduation and he had a big night planned but duty called and he had to be off with the club all night. When he returned home the next morning he knew she was mad but she wouldn't talk about it. She wouldn't even let him make it up to her. The next week they had another run in Stockton and when he returned home this time Tara was gone. He had no idea where she had gone and was worried until he found the note. All it said was "I had to go, please don't look for me". That had nearly destroyed him until he met and married Wendy. Just then he thought, if he was getting the invitation so was Tara, would she be there? Would she come back to Charming? He decided he had to go just to find out.

Harry "Opie" Winston and his high school sweetheart turned wife were just sitting down to dinner with the kids when the doorbell rang. They both stared at the door with suspicion. Who could be visiting now? Opie turned to Donna and gave her the unique look that she had become accustomed to seeing whenever someone unexpected was at the door. As a member of The Sons of Anarchy you never knew who was coming to your door at any time of the day. It could be anyone from the club or law enforcement. Donna always worried that Opie would end up in prison again. He had just served a 5 year stint for arson. She was leery of any dealings with the club because of his incarceration.

Opie got up to answer the door with his hand resting on his gun that he kept in the small of his back. He checked the peep hole and removed his hand before he opened the door. Once the door had been opened Donna realized it was Jax and there was no need to worry. Jax and Opie had been best friends since childhood. Jax's dad and Opie's dad; Piney; had founded the club together.

"Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner" Jax said more to Donna than to Opie.

"Your fine brother, is something wrong?" Opie asked more because Jax rarely showed up uninvited anymore.

"I just got home and had an invitation to our high school reunion, did you guys get one?" Jax asked. All of them had graduated together so it was a dumb question but he didn't know if the invitation had come to them that day or not.

"I haven't even checked the mail today so I'm not sure." Opie retreated back to the door to check the mail and sure enough there were two invitations. One was addressed to him and the other to Donna although it was addressed to her by her maiden name.

"Yeah we got them" Opie told Jax as he handed Donna hers.

"Are you planning to go?" Jax asked them inquisitively

"Depends on if we can get the old man to watch the kids that night" Donna responded finally joining the conversation.

Opie knew why Jax was planning to go; Tara; and he wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Tara broke his heart when she left and he had never really gotten over her. Jax married Wendy because he was lonely although Jax would never admit to that. Opie vowed that they would attend the reunion just to make sure that Jax behaved if Tara was there.

Here it was the day of the reunion and Tara was a bundle of nerves. She hadn't set foot back in Charming since the day she left and in fact still hadn't. She was staying at a motel in Lodi so that Jax didn't know she was in town. She was secretly hoping that he wouldn't show up tonight. It had taken her a couple days to decide if she was going herself. She finally decided to attend, not to see Jax but to see her other friends that she hadn't spoken to since high school. She bought her plane ticket and reserved her rental car and motel room before she had a chance to change her mind. She had decided to lie about where she was living and working in case Jax tried to look her up. Not that she was afraid of him she was just afraid of her feelings toward him. She was finally doing good in life and didn't need him to complicate things. After hours of agonizing over what to wear and what she would do if Jax was there it was time to leave. She thought about stopping at a bar outside of Charming to get a quick drink just to calm her nerves but decided against it. It was better to deal with all of this sober. It was a long agonizing drive from her hotel to her high school. She wasn't quite sure what she would do or say if she came face to face with Jax. She decided to put that behind her and deal with it when and if the time arrived.

Jax had nearly forgotten about the reunion that night until Wendy came out of the bedroom all dressed up.

"What are you all dressed up for?" He asked looking her over from head to toe. He had never seen her dressed up like this. She had always worn jeans and boots for any other occasions.

"Jackson Teller don't tell me you forgot what tonight is!" She responded a little irritated. He had been busy between work and the club but she was sure he would have remembered.

Jax racked his brain, it wasn't their anniversary was it? No that was in March. Was it her birthday? No that was a couple months away yet. Then it dawned on him…..the reunion.

"No I didn't forget I was just messing around, I will be ready in 10 minutes" he said trying to convince her as well as himself. How could he forget, this was possibly his chance to see Tara for the first time in 10 years. He took a quick shower and threw on a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt with his kutte over it.

When he emerged out of the bedroom Wendy was on the phone and from her end of the conversation he could tell that she was talking to Donna.

"Really that is what you're wearing?" Wendy asked when she finally got off the phone. He could tell she wasn't impressed.

"Look babe this is me, this is what I'm comfortable in. If people don't like what I'm wearing oh well. What did Donna want?" He asked more to get off the subject of his chosen attire for the evening.

"Oh they're car is broke down and they don't want to take the bike so she asked if they could ride with us, I told them it was ok"

Finally they were on the road to pick up Opie and Donna. When they got there and the couple emerged from their house he could see Wendy do a mental head slap because Opie was wearing the same kind of outfit that Jax had chosen.

Once they had gotten to the school Opie and Jax looked at each other with the I can't believe we are back here look. They all walked inside, the bikers and their old ladies and were greeted at a table set up right outside the gym by none other than David Hale himself.

"Hello Jax, Hello Opie, Ladies….I trust you will be behaving yourselves tonight." David said more to the guys than the ladies.

David was the Deputy Chief of Police in Charming and was set to take over as Chief once Unser stepped down. He was also a member of their graduating class. Jax and David had butted heads a couple of times over Tara. He would never admit it outright but David had always had a crush on Tara and he was not happy when she started dating Jax.

"Yes we plan to behave tonight unless something comes up and in that case you will be the first to know Chief" Jax said to him

David did not look impressed but handed them their name tags and shooed them into the gym. Jax was able to glance over the tags that remained on the table and noticed that there was not one for Tara. Did that mean she was already there?

Once inside they couldn't believe how packed it was already. It seemed like everyone from their graduating class was there. It was hard to pick out one person from the next. Of course everybody knew who they were and ran up to greet them especially Jax. Wendy was used to women fawning over her husband, it happened everywhere they went. It didn't bother her anymore, not like it had before they got married.

Tara was standing off in a corner talking to a couple people from her AP classes when she noticed a group of people crowding around someone who had just entered. She glanced over there and saw Opie standing outside of the circle and knew that wherever Opie was, Jax wasn't far behind. Opie was looking around like he was looking for somebody so she turned her back to him so he wouldn't recognize her. She had cut her hair off and dyed it blonde a few years earlier so she wasn't easily recognized like she was in high school with her long dark locks. She tried to resist temptation to turn around and look but curiosity got the best of her and when she turned around there he was. He was dressed the way he always did and still took her breath away when she looked at him. Only this time he wasn't alone. He had a very pregnant woman on his arm. She knew she shouldn't but again temptation took over and she found herself walking up to him. When she got close enough she heard the deep intake of breath from Opie and knew that he recognized her.

"Hello Jax" Tara finally said once she got closer.

She could see his posture stiffen when he heard her voice but didn't immediately turn around. He said something to the woman he was with and soon her and Donna were walking away. Opie of course stayed at Jax's side just like the loyal best friend he had always been.

"Tara", all he said was her name but it made her tremble all the way through her body.

"How have you been?" She asked trying to make small talk

"I'm fine, what do you want?" He didn't mean to sound so cold but all the bitterness and anger that had built up for the past 10 years towards her came out all at once.

"I just wanted to say hello and tell you congratulations on the baby" she finally mustered after the shock had absorbed. She couldn't believe he still hated her after all this time.

"Thank you now if you will excuse me I need to get back to my wife" He turned and walked away from her not really understanding why. He had so much he wanted to say to her. He wanted to scream at her, tell her how bad she had hurt him when she left, tell her how much he still loved her but he couldn't. Not here, not now.

Tara watched Jax walk away and couldn't believe that he had been that cold to her. She figured he would still harbor some resentment towards her but didn't expect it to be that bad. She walked back to where she was sitting with her friends and watched them from a distance. Jax seemed so happy with his wife….his wife. That was another thing that surprised her; he was married and had a baby on the way. He had obviously forgotten about her long ago. She vowed to not let what he had said to her or lack there of get to her and that she would enjoy her evening.

Jax was as shocked by the words that came out of his mouth as Tara was. The woman he had loved for a decade now was standing right in front of him and he treated her like yesterdays trash. He had to put up a good front so that nobody knew how much he truly missed her. He had to come up with a way for them to be alone; he had to talk to her. As he sat with his wife and friends all he could think about was a way to escape. Finally he came up with something simple. Hopefully it would work. The only problem was that it involved the club which Opie was also a member of so he had to let him in on his plans. He knew Opie would never rat him out to Wendy.

"Ope lets go get the girls something to drink" Jax finally said hoping that his friend would get the hint

As they walked to the beverage table Opie knew something was up with his best friend and figured there was something more to this impromptu errand.

"What's up brother?" Opie finally asked when they were out of ear shot of their wives

"I need to talk to Tara alone and came up with a plan to get away from Wendy but it would involve the club" Jax told him hoping that he would understand

Opie thought about it for a minute before responding

"I think it's a mistake but I will cover for you." All he could do was state his opinion to Jax, whether or not his friend chose to listen to him was up to him. He knew Jax was going to do what he wanted either way and in this case he wanted to talk to Tara.

Jax pulled out his cell phone making a good show in case Wendy was watching. Opie didn't bother because they would just tell Donna that Clay knew they were together so he saved time by only calling Jax. Now all he had to do was come up with a lie to tell Wendy. He was sure she would call Gemma as soon as he dropped her off so he had to include Clay but it couldn't include the whole club, just him and Opie. Of course Opie wouldn't be going with him but he could hide out at the clubhouse until Jax was done.

They made their way back over to the table to break the news to Wendy and Donna.  
>"Clay just called and he needs Opie and I to ride over to Oakland and meet with Laroy about club business." Jax told them when they reached the table. He was never one to beat around the bush.<p>

"Seriously Jackson, we can't have one night to ourselves before our son is born?" Wendy was pissed. She didn't get out much because of the pregnancy and she had been looking forward to this night for a couple weeks now.

"It's club business Wendy and as the VP I have to go" Jax gave her the speech a million times about the club so he knew he didn't have to go into it again but he had to sound convincing.

"Why don't we take the boys back to the house to get their bikes and we can come back" Donna piped in. She was enjoying her night out without the kids and didn't want it to end so early either.

Jax and Opie looked at each other because part of the plan was for Jax to come back to the school and wait for Tara to leave and then follow her to her hotel. If Wendy and Donna were also coming back there that could foil his plan.

"We figured you guys were tired and would want to go home" Jax and Opie both said at the same time like it was rehearsed.

"No we are wide awake and enjoying ourselves. Yes Donna that sounds like a plan so if you guys have to go let's go and then we will come back" Wendy said matter of factly. They all left before Jax could argue with her.

Tara saw Jax leaving and knew that she would never get the chance to explain to him why she left so long ago. She really didn't feel up to being social anymore so she said goodbye to her friends and retrieved her purse to leave. She was headed out the door when David Hale stopped her. He hadn't seen her come in and was surprised to see her there. They had grown up right down the road from each other and were best friends up until she met and started dating Jax.

"Tara is that you?" David asked as she walked by

"David?" Tara was surprised to see him although not sure why since he was in her graduating class

"Wow you look amazing, how are you? What are you doing now?" He wanted to know everything about her

"I am good just tired and have a long drive back to the hotel, I am a doctor in Chicago now" she wasn't afraid of telling David the truth. He would never betray her.

"Good for you, I am a police officer here in Charming. I went to the police academy right out of high school and Unser hired me straight from the academy. He is getting ready to retire and I am taking over as chief when he does." Ok so he was bragging a little but he was very proud of his accomplishments.

"Congratulations, looks like we both accomplished our dreams. It really was good seeing you David but as I said I have a long drive back to my hotel and I am really tired." She was trying to escape without having to get into more of a conversation but David wanted to chat and she just wasn't up to that tonight. She just wanted to go back to her hotel and get some sleep before her flight the next morning.

"Ok well it was really good to see you, take care of yourself Knowles" David always called her by her last name ever since they were kids.

Jax had to hurry if he wanted to get back and make sure Tara hadn't left yet. He had spoken to one of her friends and asked her to call him when Tara was leaving. Opie only lived a mile from the school but it seemed like it was taking forever to get there. They were going to take the truck over to Jax's house to get his bike and then head back to the school. That should leave them enough time for the girls to get back there and get back inside. They had finally gotten back to Opie's and into the truck when his phone rang. He didn't recognize the number so it had to be the friend that was watching Tara.

"Hello" Jax answered anxiously

"She's leaving"

"Thanks"

"Change of plans Ope" Jax told him and he knew what that meant. He wasn't hanging out at the clubhouse that night; he was going to be hanging out at whatever hotel Tara was staying at.

They pulled up to the school just as Tara was climbing into her car. Luckily the girls were already back inside so they didn't see the truck pull up.

Jax and Opie followed Tara to her hotel in Lodi. She didn't realize she had been followed until she got to the door of her room.

"Tara?" she whipped around shocked that he was there

"How did you find me?"

"I followed you from the school, can we go inside and talk?" he asked sympathetically

"Where's your wife?" she asked

"She's back at the school with Donna; she doesn't know I'm here." Was she being serious right now? They were standing outside discussing his wife?

"What do you want Jax?" she already knew what he wanted, the same thing she did but she was confused as to why they were doing this here

"I just want to talk to you, is that ok?"

"Yeah come in"

They went inside finally and Opie decided to park the truck around back so that if by any chance they were spotted back at the school that nobody would see the truck there. Just then he thought about the fact that Jax's bike was still at his house. If Wendy got home before them and noticed that his bike was still there she would be suspicious. He thought about it for a few and decided that if the subject came up that they would tell her that because it was a meet and greet they decided to just take the truck instead of their bikes. That was believable right?

Once in the hotel room Tara got really nervous. Why was he here? What did he want to talk about? She was positive it was about why she left and what impact it had on him but she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it. She knew when she left that it would leave him devastated but she never thought she would have to face him again. She was actually kind of scared of what he was going to say or do.

"Ok now that we are inside, what do you want to talk about? Tara asked more to calm her own nerves. She didn't want to show him how nervous she was. She had to try to remain calm and collected on the outside.

"You really don't know?" He figured she knew, she had a lot of explaining to do.

"I have an idea but I really don't know what you want me to say. It's been a decade Jax." She was succeeding at controlling her demeanor.

"Yes it has been a decade Tara but that doesn't stop the hurt. Why did you leave the way you did?" He finally decided to just blurt it out. They both knew it was the elephant in the room.

Could she be honest with him? She had to be. She didn't think he would hurt her in any way but she was afraid of what he would say to her when she told him the real reason she left.

"Honestly Jax I wasn't me here in Charming. I knew all my life that I wanted to be a doctor and staying here that vision was drifting further and further away by the minute. All I could see was being your old lady forever. Once you became a prospect you changed, you became more violent and distant and I didn't know what to do. I actually made the decision on my birthday that year. I talked to my cousins in San Diego and that set the ball in motion. Once the plans were set I had to go as soon as possible and I knew I had to do it when you weren't around because if you were I would have never had the strength to leave." That actually calmed her nerves. She finally told him how she felt those last few months.

He was shocked by her revelation. He had no idea that she felt that way before her departure. He knew things were different between them since he started prospecting and even more so after he got called away on club business on her birthday but he didn't think it would come down to her leaving him.

"I'm sorry you felt that way, I really am. I didn't mean to make you feel unwanted or like you couldn't achieve your dreams with me. If I had known you were feeling that way I would have let you go. I never wanted to hold you back not even for a minute. I love you Tara and want the best for you." Wait did he just say that he loves her? Yes he always has.

To be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Tara stood there shocked; she wasn't sure what to say at this point. Did Jax really just say that he still loves her? She never expected that.

"Jax you can't still love me, you are married with a baby on the way. You had to get over me at some point."

"No I didn't, I married Wendy because I was lonely and she was there. I have never stopped thinking about you or loving you."

"If you only married her out of loneliness then why are you still with her?"

"Honestly we had split for a while because of her drug use, she got better and we reconciled and that is when she got pregnant but we both know the only reason we are still together is for the baby"

"That is not a good reason to stay together Jackson, yes a baby needs both sets of parents but if the parents are miserable together the baby will pick up on that and it will be a miserable existence for them as well"

"Truthfully Tara if you told me you still loved me and would move back to Charming I would split with Wendy for good. You are the only woman I have ever loved."

How was she supposed to respond to that? Yes she still cared for him and probably even still loved him but could she uproot her life and move back to the town she hated so much? Maybe it would be different now that she was older. This is something she would have to think about.

"Jax I am not sure if that is something I can do. I have a job in Chicago and an apartment. I don't know if I can uproot my life for the past. Yes I do still care about you, I always have but this is something I need to think about."

Jax was overjoyed; she admitted she still cared for him.

"Well I am going to go now, take your time and think about it. When you know for sure let me know."

Jax left her hotel room smiling. That was the first real smile he had on his face in a long time. He had almost forgotten that Opie was waiting for him. Shit he knew he was going to have to explain things to him or at least give him the abbreviated version especially since as soon as he got in the truck Opie would know something was up.

Tara could barely sleep that night with everything racing through her mind.  
>Jax loved her; he wanted her to move back, he was going to leave his wife if she did. Did that make her a home wrecker if she agreed? He had said that there was basically no love in his marriage and it was just a marriage of convenience. There was a baby to think about as well, if she got back together with him she would have an instant family. Was she ready for that? Then it dawned on her, probably the one thing neither of them had thought of; his mother. Gemma was a fierce, overbearing, controlling woman. When Tara left 10 years ago she didn't bother to talk to Gemma and she was sure that the woman hated her for the way she left. Would she still hate her after this many years?<p>

Gemma was the queen of bikers. Unofficial Mom of all of the members of SAMCRO; and officially mother of Jax. She was married to Jax's father John Teller when he founded the club and then after his death married Clay Morrow who is the current president. There wasn't anything that happened within the club that she didn't know about. She made it a point to insert herself in most club business and each of the member's private lives. She was a fierce, overprotective woman who only had her family's safety in mind. When Tara left Jax he was torn up and lost for almost a decade. She hated Tara for the way she left him and still had harbored that hatred for her. She wasn't a huge fan of Wendy's either but she tried to give her the benefit of the doubt for her unborn grandchild's sake. Gemma had heard about the reunion from Wendy and was certain that Tara would be there. She had decided to check in on her son on the night of the reunion and found out that he had been called away on club business halfway through the reunion. The only problem with that was Clay was at home tonight, if there was club business then he wouldn't be home. She thought about asking Clay for the truth but she knew he would just lie to her so she saved her time and drove to the high school just in time to see Opie's truck follow a blue Ford Fusion out of the parking lot and head towards Lodi. She dropped in a couple car lengths behind them and followed them. She wasn't sure what they were doing or who it was they were following but she intended to find out. Eventually they pulled into a little hotel and she wondered what kind of so called club business would bring them to a run down hotel in Lodi? Well as she watched it turned out she was right because not long after the car parked Tara got out of the car and headed for one of the rooms. Soon after Jax got out of Opie's truck and walked right up to her like they were best of friends. Gemma was fuming. Why the hell was he going to visit her at a hotel? Now she knew why he lied to his wife. She thought about going to the door and surprising them both but decided against it. If she did that it would be loud and messy and they weren't in Charming where the chief of police could protect them. She sat; impatiently; in the car for about an hour before Jax emerged. He got into Opie's truck and they drove away like it was nothing. Gemma reached for her phone and dialed Jax's number. Let's see what he tells me she thought.

Hey ma, what's up? He answered

Hey baby, where are you at?

On the way to Oakland for some club business.

I thought your reunion was tonight?

It was but Clay needed Opie and I to take care of this tonight so we had to leave early

Ok baby, well give me a call when you get back so I don't worry too much.

Ok Ma.

Now she knew something was up, he lied to her. Although he didn't know that she knew the truth, yet.

She had to confront Tara, find out what her plan was. Why was she back in Charming other than for the reunion? Why were her and Jax talking for so long? What did those two have up their sleeves?

She drove into the lot and parked near Tara's car. She walked up to the door that Jax had come out of not 10 minutes before and knocked and waited.

Tara answered the door and got the shock of her life.


	3. Chapter 3

The last person Tara expected to be standing at the door to her hotel room was Gemma. How the hell did she know where she was staying? With the same thought she realized that she must have followed Jax when he came there. She hadn't changed one bit in the past 10 years.

What are you doing here Gemma? Tara finally asked

I was going to ask you the same thing Tara.

I came back for my high school reunion, is that ok with you or was I supposed to ask your permission?

Tara knew getting cocky with Gemma wasn't a good idea but she had to show the older lady that she wasn't intimidated by her anymore.

Gemma looked at Tara with suspicion and truthfully was a little surprised that she was getting mouthy with her.

What are you doing in this crappy hotel room and what was Jax doing here? Gemma asked deciding to let the comment go, for now.

I rented this room while in town because I didn't want to be in Charming. I figured if I wasn't in Charming I wouldn't run into you and hopefully wouldn't run into Jax. I was hoping he wasn't going to be at the reunion. As for him being here I really don't see how that is any of your business but if you must know he followed me here to talk.  
>What could you two possibly have to talk about? You do know that he is married and has a son about to be born right?<p>

Again what we talked about is none of your business. If you want to know that bad ask your son. I am fully aware that he has a pregnant wife and I will assure you I did not ask him to come here. I left the reunion and he had Opie follow me back here.

Oh I know Opie was with him because I followed them after some bullshit lie they told their wives. Those two seem to forget that I know everything.

I'm sure you do, are we done here?

Yes darlin' we are done here. Let me just leave you with this. Jax has finally moved on from you. What you did to him when you left was unforgivable. He has a family now so you need to climb back in whatever car brought you here and go back to where you belong and don't return.

Well for your information I am leaving tomorrow morning and I don't have any intentions of returning. Goodbye Gemma.

Little did Gemma know that she was considering moving back. She had no doubt that Gemma would confront Jax about this and she just wondered what he would tell her. He had left her the phone number of his burner phone so that if he was around his wife when she called it would seem like someone from the club. She decided that she had to call him and warn him before his mother could get to him.

All Jax could think about was his conversation with Tara on the ride back to Charming. He had asked her to move back and be with him but would she really give up all that she had in…..where did she live now? He had no idea. He knew that when she left she moved to San Francisco for school but he didn't know where she went from there. All of the sudden his phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts. He looked at the number and didn't recognize it so it had to be Tara.

Hey Darlin, what's up?

Your mother just left here

My mother, what? How did she? Never mind I know how she knew where I was. What did she say to you?

Told me that you were married and had a son about to be born and that I should leave and never come back. Jax she wanted to know what we talked about and I told her if she wanted to know that bad that she needed to ask you.

Great now I can look forward to a visit from Gemma. Don't worry about her I will handle it. Just go relax and think about what we talked about.

Jax was positive that he would be hearing from Gemma anytime now. He wasn't sure what he was going to tell her about his conversation with Tara. It really was none of her business at this point. Of course if she chose to move back to Charming then it would be Gemma's business but right now nothing was set in stone.

All night long he waited for his phone to ring or for there to be a knock on his door but neither happened. He thought maybe she had let it go but knowing his mother she was just biding her time until she thought it was the right time.

The right time had eventually come two days later while Jax and Wendy were at home together, go figure. Gemma showed up out of the blue.

Hey Mom, what are you doing here?

Oh just came by to see my son and visit my grandson

Umm you do know that he hasn't been born yet right?

Yes obviously I know that, what are you guys doing?

Nothing just sitting here watching TV. Seriously Mom why are you here?

I thought we could talk about how the errand for the club went the other night.

You know that is club business that I can't discuss with you Mom.

Both of them looked at each other knowing what the other was talking about but Jax wasn't about to bring it up in front of his wife and he wasn't going to let his mother bring it up either. If things went the way he planned then Wendy would know soon enough.

"Ok baby we will talk later then" Gemma finally said breaking the uncomfortable silence.

She finally left and Jax made up an excuse to get out of the house, not that he really needed one being in the club. Wendy knew that the club pulled him away from everything at all times of the day and night. She knew that when he said it was club business not to ask questions because he couldn't discuss it.

Jax decided to ride out to the hotel that Tara was staying at in Lodi to see if she had left that day like she had planned. When he got there he didn't see her rental car so he just assumed she had left and turned his bike around in the parking lot. When he was going by the door to the room she stayed in he noticed that the door was open and Tara was standing in the doorway staring at him. He quickly parked his bike and went into her room.

"I thought you were leaving today" Jax asked her as soon as she closed the door

"I was planning to but decided that it was going to be easier to stay here to make decisions where I had the time to think" Tara informed him

"Where is your car?" Jax was confused why she would return the rental car if she had decided to stay

"I returned it this morning so that if your mother decided to make the trip out here again she would think I left"

"Probably smart thinking, I got questioned by her today but didn't tell her anything. I'm sure that line of questioning isn't over yet though."

"Yeah knowing Gemma that was just the tip of the iceberg"

Jax spent about two hours there with her after going back out to move his bike for the same reason as Tara returning her car. They discussed everything that neither of them had said before. Things were starting to look up for them but neither one of them asked the inevitable.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been 2 weeks since Tara left and Jax still hadn't heard from her. She was all he could think about. He wondered what she was doing and what she was thinking about. He had finally gotten the nerve to tell Wendy that their marriage was over. Even if Tara didn't move back to Charming he couldn't stay with Wendy any longer. Her drug use had gotten out of control, he knew that it was the wrong thing to do with her being pregnant but he thought that maybe if she lost him that it would make her straighten up and quit using. He was scared that she was going to kill their unborn baby. He had been staying at the SAMCRO clubhouse in one of the rooms but he made sure that he took the burner phone that Tara had the phone number to when he left his house. He stared at that phone all day willing it to ring but it never did. He had fallen into an endless amount of drinking and sex since he left Wendy but all he could ever think about was Tara. The only person he ever saw in those women's faces was Tara. He truly believed that him and Tara were meant to be together and he just had to wait until she realized it also which was hard for him because he was not a very patient man.

Tara had decided to move back to Charming not long after she returned to Chicago. Luckily there had been a job opening at St. Thomas which was the hospital in Charming. She had applied for the job and received a call less than a week later for an interview. She had set up a telephone interview and was hired at the end of the call. As luck would have it she never sold her Dad's house after his death so at least she had a place to live. The big thing weighing on her mind was that she never told Jax. She took precautions so that she wouldn't run into him. Yes she moved back her partly because of their conversation but that wasn't the only reason. She had realized that she missed all of her friends from school and that she had left her friends when she took off not just Jax. Although it was inevitable that she would run into Jax at some point and he would probably be mad that she didn't tell him that she was back or at least given him a heads up that she was planning to move back. She would deal with that when the time came.

Little did she know the time would come sooner than she thought. While at work there was an emergency c-section where the baby boy was born with a heart defect and a rip in his stomach. She was called into surgery to assist. Once the surgery was done and it looked like the baby was going to pull through she was tasked with telling the parents what happened. As she walked into the waiting room she couldn't help think of Jax and the fact that he had a baby boy on the way any day now. Could it be? No she had to put that thought out of her head. When she reached the waiting room she called out for the Case family and immediately saw Gemma. They both eyed each other trying to figure out what the other was doing there.

"What are you doing here?" Gemma asked finally reaching Tara

"Not now Gemma, I'm working and looking for the Case family as I called out."

"Well you will be waiting a long time, it's not the Case family you are waiting for it's the Teller family and that would be me."

"No the baby I just assisted on is the son of Wendy Case."

"Yep that's Jax's soon to be ex-wife and the mother of my grandson."

Tara's heart dropped to her knees. She just worked on Jax's son. That meant if he wasn't here yet he would be very soon.

"Well then I'm looking for Jax." Tara finally said breaking the silence

"He's not here yet but he's on his way. Tell me how is the boy?" Gemma asked not letting the doctor intimidate her

"Well he was born by emergency c-section and had a heart defect and a rip in his stomach but we repaired both and it looks like he is going to make it. He will have to stay in the NICU for a few months until he gains weight but it looks good."

"I'm guessing the heart defect is the family flaw." Gemma asked after Tara got done

"Probably" Tara said

Just then Jax and the rest of the club came crashing through the waiting room doors. Tara turned to look and Jax stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't expect to see her here anymore than she expected to see him. He didn't speak to her but walked right past her.

"Mom, what happened?" Jax said addressing Gemma

"I went to check on Wendy and she was unconscious on the kitchen floor with needles and thumb bags around her. There was a lot of blood Jackson. I rushed her to the hospital where she had to have an emergency c-section." Gemma said recounting everything from the day. Well almost everything.

"Oh my god, my son." Jax said looking genuinely scared

"He was very underweight and had some health problems when he was born but we did emergency surgery and he is going to be fine." Tara said piping in finally.

"He had a tear in his stomach and a heart defect" Gemma said interrupting Tara

"We fixed both as I said and he is going to make it but he will have to stay in the NICU for a few months until he gains weight and gets stronger" Tara said shooting Gemma a dirty look.

"Can I see him?" Jax asked looking back and forth between Tara and his mother

"Yes you can see him anytime you want."

"By the way, his name is Abel"

"That's a good name, come on I will take you to see him".

Jax followed Tara to the NICU nursery where his son was. He knew that all he should be worried about was his son but all that he could think about was Tara. As he followed her down the hall the only thought in his mind was why she hadn't told him that she decided to come back to Charming. He made a mental note to ask her as soon as he could. He also knew that he should ask about Wendy but he couldn't bring himself to care. She had almost killed his son and right now he could care less about her. They finally arrived at the nursery and Jax got his first look at his son. He was so tiny, how could this little baby survive? He was scared that he wasn't going to make it but he didn't want to show any emotion. He was a big bad biker after all.

Tara could read Jax like a book. She had loved him since she was 16 and even though she had been gone for 10 years she still knew him. She could see the fear in his eyes as he stood staring at the incubator that held his son.

"He's going to be ok Jax" she said to him breaking the silence

"He's so little" was all that he could think to reply

"That's why he has to stay here for a while, he needs to gain weight and become stronger before we can even let him out of the incubator." She figured it she explained it in simpler terms it would have more effect on him. Not that Jax was stupid but in her experience when faced with a situation like this the simpler terms are easier for the parents to understand.

"Tara why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" The words slipped out before he even knew what he was saying.

"Do you think this is the right time to discuss this?" Tara replied, she was shocked that he had chosen now to ask her that

"I stand here watching my son and I realize how fragile life can be and I don't want anything slipping out of my life again" He was feeling sentimental and he wanted Tara to know how he still felt about her.

"Jax here and now is not the time, I'm staying at my dad's house come over tonight and we can talk"

"I'll be there"

She couldn't believe that she had finally run into him. It actually lifted a great weight off of her shoulders. She had felt like she was walking around on eggshells anticipating running into him. Now that she had agreed to see him and talk to him she felt a lot better. Now she just had to figure out how to tell him that although she had returned she didn't want to rush into anything with him quite yet. She had to consider her future and wasn't sure that getting back together with her biker ex-boyfriend was good for her job status at St. Thomas.

Jax had left the hospital happier than he should have been. Now he knew why Tara hadn't returned any of his phone calls. He should be furious with her for not telling him that she returned but he wasn't mad at her at all he was just happy that she was here. He headed back to the clubhouse to see Gemma. When he came out from seeing Abel she was gone. The only one left was Opie. Tara had agreed to talk to him at her dad's house that night. He knew what he wanted to say to her but what did she want to say to him? He was eagerly anticipating 9:00 pm when she would be home from work.

When he got to the clubhouse Gemma was there but was busy with customers at the automotive garage that they owned. Gemma ran the office there. He decided not to bug her right then. She already knew everything there was to know and besides if he went over to her right now it would be a series of questions about Tara that he didn't want to answer. He went straight into the clubhouse with Opie to find the rest of the club and fill them in on what happened. After everyone was filled in it was time to go meet Tara. He managed to escape with Gemma stopping him. It didn't take him long to get to where Tara was staying. He pulled up out front and her car was in the driveway or at least what he assumed was her car but there was also another car there. He wasn't sure who it could be so he went to the door and knocked. She answered after a couple minutes and looked like she was frightened. That put him on high alert. She welcomed her into her home although the look she gave him was worrisome. He walked into the living room and saw the source of the problem. There was a guy sitting on the couch and although he looked innocent enough the look in Tara's eyes told a different story. She introduced him as Josh Kohn an ATF agent out of Chicago where she had been living before returning to Charming. Jax figured there was more to it than him just being an ATF agent. Josh stood up and shook his hand and reintroduced himself as Tara's boyfriend. Jax felt like he had been punched in the gut. She had a boyfriend. When he looked at Tara she gave him a look that said this guy wasn't her boyfriend and she needed help. Jax made up some lame story about needing Tara's help at the hospital with his son so that Josh would leave. He wasn't sure that the other man would buy it but he did and tried to kiss Tara goodbye and left.  
>"What the hell is going on here Tara?" Jax finally asked once they heard the car pull away<p>

"Josh and I dated in Chicago, he became violent and I tried to end it. He wouldn't give up so I got a PPO on him and that only made him angrier. I up and left in the middle of the night when he was out of town but he found me. He is why I hadn't told you I was coming back. I figured the less people that knew the safer it would be for me." She looked like she about to cry. Jax walked over and put his arm around her to try and comfort her.

"If this guy tries anything it would be a huge mistake on his part." He finally said after she had quieted down a little.

"I don't even know how he found me Jax." She said looking confused

"Well if he's an ATF agent he has ways of finding people, all he had to do was pull your file and put two and two together to figure out that you would come back here."

"I don't know what to do now; he's very violent towards me. It took me going to 4 different police stations to even be able to obtain the PPO against him."

"I know what you're not doing and that is staying here alone tonight. I am crashing here with you. If this guy comes back I want to be here. I will move my bike and sleep on the couch. If he thinks your alone lord knows what he might try but he won't be expecting me on the couch."

"Thank you Jax and I'm sorry for not telling you I was coming back."

"It's fine darlin' I understand why you didn't"

Jax called Opie to tell him what was going on and asked him if he could leave his bike there for the night and if he would drop him back at Tara's. Opie only lived a couple blocks away from Tara's so it would be 10 minutes at the most that he would be back. Opie agreed and Jax told Tara what was happening and he left. About 5 minutes after he had left Tara heard a knock on the door. She had locked the door when Jax left but found it surprising that he was back so soon. When she opened the door her surprise turned to fear as Josh was standing there looking at her.

"What are you doing here Josh?" Tara finally asked him

"I see your company left, why must you anger me Tara? Why would you let him in while I am here?" Josh asked pushing his way into the house

"He is a friend and he needed advice about his son that I just operated on this morning." Tara explained trying to calm him down

"Well he's gone now and we can have time to ourselves."

"I'm getting ready to go to bed Josh so I don't think this is a good time."

"Great I will come to bed with you"

Tara was even more in shock now. Was he really trying to spend the night with her?

"Not tonight Josh, I've had a long day at work and all I want is sleep"

"I don't think you understand Tara, I am spending the night with you tonight whether you like it or not"

He pulled out his gun and aimed it at her. Now she was visibly scared. Would he really shoot her? He forced her into the bedroom where he told her to undress and get into bed.

Jax finally made his way back to Tara's after about 20 minutes and saw that car in the driveway again. That guy was watching the house waiting for Jax to leave. He jumped out of the truck before Opie could stop it and yelled at him to call 911. Jax burst through the unlocked door and ran around the house looking for Tara. He finally found her in the bedroom with a gun pointed at her.


End file.
